The invention relates to an internal combustion engine with several combustion chambers formed in cylinders, in which an air/fuel mixture can be reacted in a combustion reaction and wherein the combustion chambers are delimited by a joint cylinder head, and an exhaust gas discharge passage is associated with each combustion chamber, and several discharge passages extend into a joint confluence zone in the region of a discharge manifold.
DE 101 41 534 A1 discloses a cylinder head for an internal combustion engine having several cylinders, in which several discharge ducts extend from discharge openings of the combustion chambers. The discharge ducts join to form a confluence zone, which is essentially completely integrated into the cylinder head and is delimited by cooling water passages arranged above and below the discharge duct. A mounting surface for a catalytic converter is provided at a flange of the cylinder head, which catalytic converter is bolted directly to the cylinder head. Such a configuration results in a particularly extensive heat exchange between the cooling water in the cooling water passages and the exhaust gas in the confluence zone, however, an elaborate and complicated cylinder head design results, which can be realized only in an expensive manner.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an exhaust gas manifold with especially simple means, whose heat transfer behavior is also advantageous and which requires relatively little space in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle.